Element Kidnapped
by Light Burst
Summary: When AppleJack mysteriously goes missing in the morning a month after Twilight moves to Canterlot, Rainbow Dash must scout out the kidnapper and save her friend. But who are the two main suspects? Pinkie and Rarity... Rated T for violence, suicide.
1. Suspect 1: Pinkamena Diane Pie

Rainbow Dash lounged on a cloud, basking in the moon and all of its glory. She was the slightest bit happy, but a lot happier than she has been more recently. It started a month ago, when Twilight moved out of the library and into Canterlot Castle. It hadn't quite been the same in Ponyville without Twi.

Not a week after that, Pinkie became suicidal after taking a few pills too many of her blood sugar control. She was stuck in the hospital for a week after she nearly died of overdosing. Pinkie, ever since, has insisted on being called Pinkamena. She's always locked in the SCC basement, probably planning another suicide that will fail.

A day after Pinkie was hospitalized, Rarity went insane as well. She has lost all signs of sanity, and never leaves her boutique. From what Rainbow was told, Rarity now idolizes Pinkamena and calls herself 'Mommy'.

Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow have yet to crack, but Rainbow has seen a large reduce of animals under Fluttershy's care. Flutters always says the same thing, "The timberwolves must've have gotten to them...", but she doesn't say it with sincere concern. RD can tell by looking at a pony's eyes. She has seen enough of Pinkamena to know what insanity and brutality look like within just the eyes.

"What happened around here...?" Rainbow asked herself, yawning. "Maybe if Twi wouldn't have left, everything would be the same. Pinkie and Rarity wouldn't have gone insane, and Fluttershy wouldn't be acting so shady about her missing animals..." The pegasus yawned, her eyes beginning to weigh down. Before she knew it, she was asleep, away to the world of dreams...

* * *

Rainbow's eyes fluttered open, greeted by the sun raising above the horizon. She tried to roll back over and get more sleep, but the glare of the sun seemed to shoot right through her eyelids. The cyan pegasus groaned and stood up weakly. "For Celestia's sake, how about 5 more minutes?" She barked.

"Rainbow...?" Came a soft voice from the sky behind her. It was Fluttershy, who held a newspaper.

"What?" Rainbow asked as the cream pegasus flew over, giving the paper to the cyan mare. "This? What is it?"

"AppleJack's gone missing..." Fluttershy spoke suddenly, like a spoiler alert giving no purpose to reading the paper, but Rainbow read the black and white text.

_ AppleJack, local Ponyville farmer, was reported missing last night by police. Big Macintosh, the brother of AppleJack, chose not to be interviewed. The police received a call at 1:20 A.M. from Big Macintosh, who spoke frantically to the operater. Police continue investagation on the case. If you have any evidence, please call the local P.V.P.D. station._

Rainbow Dash read the short article many times over, jaw slacked in disbelief. _How could a missing report for a freaking Element of Harmony be so short?!_ The mare yelled in her head. She loosened her death grip on the paper and passed it back over to Fluttershy. "Do you know who did it?" Rainbow questioned, afraid of the answer she would get.

"I'd be assuming Pinkie or Rarity..." The cream pegasus shrugged lightly, landing on the cloud next to Rainbow.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Flutter? Come on!" RD yelled panickedly and grabbed Fluttershy's hoof, bursting off towards SugarCube Corner. If there would be one prime suspect... it had to be Pinkie...

* * *

"I swear Rainbow, I don't know where AppleJack is!" The flat-maned mare pleaded, but with a blank expression.

"Oh yeah? Then I guess you wouldn't mind if we check in the basement?" Rainbow pointed to a large stone door.

Pinkie gulped at the suggestion, but slowly nodded, "S-sure..."

"I think I may stay up here..." Fluttershy whispered.

"Okay, good idea." Rainbow nodded, grabbing Pinkie and running to the basement, swinging the door open. "So, are you SUUUURE you want me to search this?" Rainbow asked rhetorically. Dash let go of Pinkie and began to walk down the stairs.

_THUNK! _Pinkie grabbed Rainbow and threw her down the cold concrete stairs. Rainbow, not given enough time to react, tumbled down and hit the metal floor. "Pinkie, what the hay?!" Rainbow yelled, immobile from the sudden rush of pain. Pinkie immediately ran down and began to drag Rainbow into the middle of the room. Before Pinkie could stop dragging the pegasus, Rainbow blacked out.

* * *

Rainbow slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry and distorted. It took a minute, but she adjusted her sight and looked around. She winced at pain that still remained, most likely a concussion. The basement was still empty, everything the exact same. Just emptiness. Rainbow stood painfully, limping to the stairs and using the splintery wooden rail as support as she climbed up. When she looked around SCC, nopony was around and it was pitch black outside. She looked at the clock tower a mile or two away. 1:20 A.M... the time AJ went missing. She rushed to the windows, looking across the empty town. Humming came from the boutique nearby. Rainbow opened the window and slowly hovered above Carousel Boutique, using a cloud to hide.

A pony with a ski mask, black suit, and gray bodysuit dragged a seemingly heavy trashbag into the boutique. The shady pony looked up, somehow noticing Rainbow. The pony shot through the cloud... then Rainbow woke up...

* * *

She sat up at lightning speed, breathing heavily. She looked herself over, noticing everything was normal, and calmed down. She gulped and stood up, not hurting anymore. What a relief. Not just the pain being gone, but now Rainbow could have a possible lead on where AJ went. She sweated bullets of terror, still from the strange dream, attempting to piece together what it would mean.

The mare boomed through the glass doors of the SCC and raced toward the boutique, refusing to let herself slow down. "I've got you now..." Rainbow said, her voice crackling.


	2. Suspect 2: Rarity

Rainbow halted near the doors of Carousel Boutique, playing out in her head a stealthy way to approach this. _I could sneak through a window..., _Rainbow thought, _Or I could come through the basement._ She looked between a small rectangular window leading to Rarity's basement and a boarded up window on the side of the building. _The basement would be a bit more unpredictable, _the mare nodded, crawling to the window and pulling it open. She snaked her way through and spread her wings in the air as her back hooves slipped through, allowing a soft landing.

"Dear, what's wrong?" Rainbow heard Rarity giggle insanely from upstairs, "Do be a dear and don't cry. Mommy **_is_**trying her best to make perfect incisions."

****Rainbow froze at the statement, a look of worry sweeping across her face. She had to hurry more than she though. The pegasus weaved her way through ragged dresses and dismantled, disfigured mannequins and made her way to the stairs, a winding staircase with no railing. She climbed up slowly, making no sound as she did, and peeked through the door that was already slightly opened.

"Mmmphhmphhhh!" A muffled scream erupted. It wasn't AJ, but a different pony. It was... Vinyl? What could the local DJ have done to be tied to a mattress set up vertically and being dismantled by a fashionista?

"Vinyl, please. I really need to do this precisely to have the best materials." Rarity looked around, a toothy grin cracking across her muzzle. "It really is quite important, in fact."

Rainbow had enough. She bursted down the door, losing control of herself, "RARITY!" She boomed, "What the hay are you doing?!"

The light gray mare flashed around, holding up a bloody butcher knife with her magic. The smile didn't fade... "Why, Rainbow Dash, how nice of you to join me and Vinyl!" The unicorn's giggle seemed broken.

Rainbow glared at Rarity, preparing her self to charge. Well, she DID charge. She charged without even noticing. Rarity didn't notice either, toppling over as Dash ran her over. The pegasus quickly pulled a gag off of Vinyl and loosened a few ropes that tied the mare to the mattress. Vinyl landed and began to take off a rope still attached to her hind hooves. "Run!" Rainbow shouted, giving Vinyl a pushing start as the white unicorn took off running to the door a few meters away, slowed by the rope.

Rarity was already to her hooves as she took off the now running ponies. "Come to Mommy, silly ponies! It's not very polite!" She yelled, her pupils becoming thin slivers. Rainbow caught up to Vinyl, but got past very quickly. As Rainbow reached the set of double doors, she flung both open. She charged out, but then came a sound from behind. _THUD! _Vinyl hit the wooden floor hard. Rainbow turned immediately to save the unicorn, but Rarity was too close for comfort.

"I-I'm so sorry...!" She yelled to Vinyl, staying in place.

"No, don't leave! You can't leave me here!" The unicorn choked, blood dribbling from her mouth. Rarity used her magic to slam the double doors shut, still holding the knife. "N-" Vinyl was abruptly cut off by a _shing _ringing out through the boutique followed by a maniacal laughter.

"Sorry..." Rainbow held her hoof up weakly, a tear beginning to fall down her cheek. "I'm not a hero... I can still make it up..." She whispered. "I can't save you, but I will save AppleJack. My endeavors won't useless."

* * *

Rainbow had flown for miles in the dark, but she was finally in Canterlot. Safe, I'd think. She was permitted a room in the hotel nearest to the castle, but she spent a few minutes talking to Twilight in the throne room. "Twi... Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

"What if one of us... murdered somepony?"

"Wh-what?" Twilight looked worried.

"Not me. Rarity. She... she murdered somepony."

"Who?"

"Vinyl Scratch."

"What? Do you evidence of the crime?'

"I was there."

"What?

"I was there, Twi. I watched Vinyl trip running away. I went back in to save her but had to run before Rarity killed me too." Rainbow lied, trying to sound like a hero she wasn't.

"A-as long as you tried..."

"Really? Even though I couldn't save her?"

"Yes. Trying still matters."

"Twi, can I tell you something else?"

"Yes. I suppose I can send the guards to the Boutique tomorrow to get Rarity in jail, though."

"AppleJack was kidnapped."

"What...?" Even more worry swept the alicorn.

"She was kidnapped and I'm trying to find her."

"..." Twilight felt it was best to be silent.

"It wasn't Rarity OR Pinkie, though."

"What about Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy. Rainbow hadn't suspected Fluttershy. She seemed so harmless, even with the look in her eyes she had now. "I guess I could check her cottage..."


End file.
